Changing in More than One Way
by LilyFlowerr
Summary: A RonHermione fic with minor GinnyHarry thrown in. It's the summer before sixth year at the Burrow. Ron and Hermione both have changed..let's say features about them. When they spend time together who knows what changes in feelings will rise?
1. Keeping In Touch

Disclaimer: I don't own anything having to do with Harry Potter. Wish I did, and hopefully will when I dominate the world... LOL I'm just kidding! :)

A/N: I hope you like my Ron/Hermione fic as well as the minor Ginny/Harry thrown in. I'm open to any ideas or criticism you might have. Helpfulness is always welcomed. Okay thanks. :)

CHANGING IN MORE THAN ONE WAY

CHAPTER 1: Keeping in Touch

_Dear Hermione,_

_How's your summer been so far? Mine has been great! Fred and George were actually nice to me and have helped me train for Quidditch. Makes me wonder what they want, being so nice and all. The bright side is that I have been getting loads better thanks to it. I can almost save every shot! _

_To answer the question I know you're just waiting to ask, no I haven't started my homework yet. And I don't plan to until summer is almost done. You can yell ay me all you want, but I'm going into sixth year and it's about time I do what I want! And I don't really feel the need to ask you whether you've started your homework as I'm sure you're already finished it all. Wait... why on earth am I writing about schoolwork?! I'm afraid you are a terrible influence on me Hermione. I mean first I'm made Prefect, what's next, Head Boy? Let's just hope it doesn't come to that. _

_Anyways, in case you were wondering, this letter did have a point to it, and it wasn't just a ploy to waste your valuable summer studying time. Since we have a month of summer left, Mum said I could have you and Harry over for that time. Hope you'll say yes and I know you will. I'm writing to Harry as soon as I finish this, so send your reply back soon so I can send Harry's letter._

_Hope to see you soon,_

_Ron_

_P.S.: Be prepared to see a big surprise in me. You'll know what I mean once you come._

_P.S.S.: I was just kidding about my homework. I already finished it. Mum forced me. Enough said._

'There,' thought Ron, 'that seems good,' as he sent Pigwideon with the letter. He then began on Harry's.

_Dear Harry,_

_How are you doing mate? Them Dursley's treating you alright? What about that Dudley? 'Cause if they aren't, then I just might have Fred and George drop by to "demonstrate" their new products. _

_Their joke shop is doing well, but they've been at the Burrow almost every day, so I am completely clueless as to how they make any money. Well, they seem to be making it as it is, so I suppose that's all that matters right? Speaking of Fred and George, they've been helping me train for Quidditch and I've gotten quite good if I do say so myself. Can't wait to practice with you. You are going to be amazed at how good I got! _

_I'm actually hoping that we will be able to practice together soon. Mum said I could have you and Hermione over for the rest of the summer. So can you come? I know that you want to come, but are probably having issues with the traveling thing. Just so you won't worry about that, Dad has found another flying car. I already sent out a letter to Hermione and am waiting for her reply before I send this to you. Send your reply as soon as possible._

_Be seeing you soon,_

_Ron_

_P.S.: What's the deal with all those letters you and Ginny have been writing to each other? I swear you write more to my little sister than you do to me! You know, you are beginning to make me a bit suspicious. I do hope that we are still best mates, now._

Chuckling to himself as he rolled up the piece of parchment of Harry's letter, he noticed Pigwideon through his window, in the distance, fluttering his way towards Ron's bedroom with Hermione's reply. As soon as Pig was close enough to the window, Ron grabbed the letter and quickly unrolled the parchment. But before he read it, he sent off Pig once more to deliver Harry's letter. As he eventually saw his tiny owl disappear into the sky, he then began to read.

_Dear Ron,_

_My summer has been great, thanks for asking! This past month I've been spending as much time as possible with my Mum and Dad. No, Ron, I haven't finally cracked from all of that studying, I just suppose I really value family time. And seeing as how most of the year I spend at Hogwarts and most of the summer at your house, I end up really missing my parents. But I'm afraid now I've done every possible family event in the universe and my summer's sparkle is starting to turn a bit dull. That was until I received your invitation as was expected around this time of summer. And as you had been expecting I am accepting and will be at the Burrow in about three days time. I hope that is okay with your Mum. _

_And, yes Ron, I did finish my homework already. I'm so glad that you finished too! Aren't you happy now that you got it over and done with? Now you can do whatever you wish with the rest of the summer and not have the worry of an unfinished Potions essay, nagging you over and over in the back of your head. And don't you even dare say, Ronald Weasley, that you don't have that worry in the back of your head but instead you have me nagging you in you face, because I swear I will be a surly Hermione for the next four weeks. And you should know form our past history. That it won't be a pleasant experience, for anyone._

_Well there I go, rambling on about homework as usual! But before you fall asleep, as I am sure you are about to do or have already done, I just want to congratulate you on the progress with you rQuidditch training! I'm so sure Gryffindor'll do wonderful this year for the Quidditch House Cup! There you are! Now you may fall asleep as I'm done this letter and am going to start on packing all my things._

_See you soon,_

_Hermione_

_P.S.: I'll be prepared for that surprise, but you better be ready for one of my own._

_P.S.S.: How come you wrote to me before Harry? Please tell me that you didn't tell him you did that, I mean how is he going to feel about that? Aren't you two supposed to be best friends? Or is this just your way of getting back at him for sending all of those letters to Ginny instead of sending as much to you?_

_P.S.S.S.: In case you didn't figure it out, Ginny and I have been keeping in touch. Okay now you can sleep, though I doubt you want to anymore._

As Ron put down Hermione's letter. He was undoubtedly annoyed and slightly angry, and mostly at Ginny. Had his little sister suddenly become the most popular person this side of Great Britain, that his two best friends would rather write to her than to him? He could maybe understand why Hermione might write more to Ginny. After all, Ginny was someone Hermione could talk to about the girly things going on in her life. Something Ron definetly didn't want to think about.

So he quickly turned his thoughts towards Harry. How could Harry, Harry his greatest friend of all time, enjoy corresponding letters with Ginny more than with him? And further more, why was it tried to be kept in secret? The only reason, in fact, that Ron knew about Ginny writing to Harry, was when she asked to use Pig for a delivery (for about the thousandth time) with a piece of parchment in her hands. Ron had snatched the parchment to see who she was writing to, for enough time to read, "_Dear Harry,"_ before she snatched it back from him and took Pig not waiting for a reply from her brother.

Just as Ron finished those thoughts, Pig pooped his petite body in Ron's room, now with a reply from Harry, and gave a high-pitched "Hoot" to receive recognition from Ron for a delivery well done. Ron gave him a quick pat on his miniscule head as he began unrolling Harry's letter and read it.

_Dear Ron,_

_I don't know, are we still best mates? After all I could say the same about becoming suspicious now. What's this about you writing to Hermione before to me? What did I do to deserve that? Oh wait, now I remember. I wrote slightly more letters to your little sister. Oh no! I'm surprised they haven't locked me up in bloody Azkaban yet for that one Ron! Don't worry though, once I'm there I'll be sure to write only letters to you about how my terribly painful life with the dementors! Geez Ron! Yes I write to your sister. So what? Big deal! She's my friend, just like you and Hermione, and so I write letters to her, just like I do for you and Hermione. And how many more did she have anyways? Like one? What do you do anyways , count the difference? It's no big deal. It doesn't hold a deeper meaning that that, so can we just drop it now faster than Dudley drops food into his mouth? (Ha! Like the analogy?) _

_Speaking of the Dursleys, they've been okay so far, I mean Mad-Eye must have really creeped them out at the Kings Cross Station. Basically they've ignored me and tried to forget I existed and ever ruined their picture perfect life(yeah I know, how is that picture perfect?)._

_Dudley is so terrified that I might pull out a dementor out of my pockets, that he's staying away from me and told his friends to do the same. He gave them some rrason having to do with my criminally insane mind or something like that. Sorry I don't remember, but I do tend to overflow with these Dursley-started rumours, that I forget others. Damn criminally insane mind of mine!_

_So in conclusion of the summary of my summer so far I say this, get me out of here as soon as you can!!!! I'll be ready byt tomorrow with all of my things so come whenever you want, the sooner, the better!_

_Come soon!_

_Harry _

_P.S.: Great about your Quidditch training Ron! Can't wait either to practice._

_P.S.S.: Seriously though, Ginny's just my friend, and that's the only reason I write to her. Just so you understand that._

_P.S.S.S: I'm not really mad you wrote o Hermione first. I could care less as long as I still get written to._

_P.S.S.S.S: Me and Ginny= friends_

Ron tossed the letter on his bed as sighed inwardly at the thought of seeing his best friends soon. He was happy Harry had once again survived the Dursley experience and would be hanging out with him soon. But something puzzled him, why was Harry so intent on insisting that he and Ginny were friends? Ron knew that and a simple one-time reminder of that would have been a good explanation for the Weasley sibling letter fiasco. But the fact that he kept on stressing that part had still given life to his earlier suspisions. There hopefully wouldn't be any nasty (well nasty to Ron anyways) surprises unveiling themselves this summer.

Then Ron thought back to Hermion'es letter, she mentioned her having a surprise herself. He pomdered on what it could possibly be. As Ron lied down on his bed, he couldn't help but think,

'Despite anything that might happen this summer, or this year for that matter, I still cant wait to see Hermione again...And Harry.'

Sitting up quickly after this last thought occurred, Ron said out loud,

"Now why on earth did that just happen?"

Something could be assured there and then, that life was not to quiet down at the Burrow for the next month.

A/N: Okay I know that the letters were sent to each other really quickly, but I didn't really want to bore you guys with the things Ron did in the time he awaited the letters. Also I think this'll be the only chapter that is just letters. The rest are going be regular story/dialogue type chapters. I hope you liked this fist chapter anyways and I'll try to update soon!


	2. Good Ol' Sibling Rivalry

Disclaimer: I don't own anything having to do with Harry Potter. Wish I did, and hopefully will when I dominate the world... LOL I'm just kidding! :)

A/N: Thanks to the people who reviewed my first chapter, you really made my day! :) And I'm really sorry it has taken me FOREVER to update even though I said I'd update soon, so feel free to get mad at me for that 'cause I'm mad at myself for it/. I tried so hard to make it nice and long for everyone and I didn't realize that it would take me so long to do. I ended up taking so long to make it super, super long, when I figured I could have a good sized chapter by splitting it in half....so here is chapter 2 modified to be better...so you really do end up getting the better deal. :) Hope you like it and keep on reading! :)

**CHANGING IN MORE THAN ONE WAY**

**CHAPTER 2: GOOD OL' SIBLING RIVALRY**

After shaking off his strange unexpected feelings received from the letters, Ron made his way downstairs to the kitchen to help with dinner as well as to inform Mr. and Mrs. Weasley of Harry and Hermione's expected arrival. As he entered the room he unsurprisingly saw Fred and George sitting at a corner of the dinner table discussing something seriously. Now just the sight of the twins doing _anything_ serious at all, almost made Ron laugh himself out of breath.

'Probably has something to do with the joke shop,' he thought as he made sense of what their discussion could be about as he also contained himself from laughing at them. Apparently he wasn't the only one trying not to laugh as he turned around to see Ginny on the other side of the room, looking at the same thing Ron was and slipped out a giggle. This new sudden noise brought the twins out of their discussion as there heads turned in Ginny's direction with annoyed expressions on their faces as they asked her in unison,

"What?"

"Nothing," Ginny quickly supplied, "I was just laughing at the faces Ron was making at you."

Ron glared at her sister for saying that, and became speechless as Fred and George's heads swiftly turned into his direction just noticing his presence.

"Taking a few prat lessons from Malfoy now are we?" Fred quickly questioned Ron, which truthfully just increased Ginny's laughter.

"I was just lying!" Ginny managed to say in between giggles. "I wanted to see what you would say... it was worth it!"

"Sorry about that then Ron," Fred quickly apologized.

"Yes, now we can plainly see that it's Ginny who's taking the prat lessons. Hmm, seems to be getting her money's worth out of Malfoy."

"If anything I'm getting lessons from you two," Ginny quickly shot back.

Ron just stood there silently laughing at the squabbling in front of him. No wonder Harry and Hermione loved coming to the Burrow so much, they got free entertainment every day and night.

"Oh yeah? Well everyone knows you're a-," No one heard what everyone knew George was, as just then Mrs. Weasley had cleared her throat to gain her children's attention. Even though it was a...umm... "friendly" squabble between family, Mrs. Wealsey was not happy to see it occur. And Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George, all knew what it was like when Mrs. Weasley was not happy; a very unhappy moment to be a Weasley child.

"Yes Mum?" all four Weasleys asked meekly.

"Now for Merlin's sake! What are you lot arguing about now?" she paused as she saw all four mouths about to open at the same time when she immediately said, "No wait I don't want to hear it this time. Just help put out the food on the table and we'll talk about this later when your father comes home," Mrs. Weasley sighed, "I just don't understand why all of you can't get along. When I was your age-." Mrs. Weasley was cut off as her husband came waltzing through the door, humming a catchy tune.

"Mmm, what smells so good?" he asked as he stood in front of them all.

"Dinner Dad, Mum's really out done herself once again," piped up Ginny trying to have her mother forget about the incident. It had worked numerous times before.

"Oh really, it's nothing," said Mrs. Weasley feeling flattered. Yep, it had worked again.

Soon the six of them were sitting around the dinner table stuffing their faces with the usual scrumptious food and were involved in many different conversations as they ate. Soon the conversation was directed at Ron concerning two certain guests.

"So when are they coming?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"Umm well Harry said he'll be ready by tomorrow so that we can just drop by whenever to pick him up-," Ron was cut off by his mum.

"Oh, poor dear, probably has nothing to do at that dreadful place with those dreadful people,"

"-and Hermione said she'll be here in... umm I think it was two days time?"

"In three days Hermione will be here," Ginny simply supplied for Ron.

This made Ron realize that Ginny had got another letter from Hermione today as well. This made him annoyed once more and he took his frustration out on Ginny.

"Are you sure now? Because I would have sworn that in the letter it said in two days. If you want I can go and check just now-."

"Awww," cooed the twins together.

"What?" Ron asked them, his frustration now clearly heard through his voice. Which was a bad move considering that it would just get the twins going even more at him.

"Ickle Ronniekins is worried about when his wittle girlfriend is coming over," George answered.

At this Ginny snorted out the juice she was drinking spraying herself and getting juice all over her clothes.

"Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, "I wish you would all stop teasing him, now at this rate they'll never end up together soon enough to give me grandchildren!"

"Mum!" everyone at the table replied in disgust, except for Mr. Weasley who just said "Molly" in a warning tone.

"Well I want grandchildren and who am I going to get them from? You two?" she said as she eyed Fred and George skeptically.

"Umm...how about those other guys in our family, you know them, at least you should, umm, your eldest sons?" Fred answered desperately hoping for a quick and lasting subject change.

"Of course! How could I be so silly as to forget about them. It's just so hard these days you know, I mean I hardly see them anymore and they have there own lives so far away and... oh I must send an owl to Bill, Charlie, and Percy." Mrs. Weasley suddenly got all quiet after saying Percy's name.

Thinking desperately to lighten the moods, Ron quickly said,

"Well instead of always having to pick on me and Hermione, which seems to be a never ending, long running joke in this family-." Mrs. Weasley looked at him wearily at that part, "but how about we start and give a go at Ginny and Harry," Ron finished grinning cheekily at Ginny.

But apparently lightening the moods was not what he achieved at this comment, as everyone sat there silently staring at Ron and then at Ginny, while Ginny just sat there with a horror-stricken face turned towards Ron. Finally Ginny spoke and ended the silence.

"Honestly Ron, we are just friends, how hard is it to get that through your thick skull?"

"I dunno, it's pretty thick," piped up Fred.

"Oh shut it!" Ron hastily responded.

"But we are just friends! Nothing more!" Ginny continuously insisted.

"Yeah okay fine, so then pick on me and Hermione because after all she is my fiancée and everything." Ron replied dryly. As he looked in his mother's direction he could have sworn he saw a hopeful look at that last part he said, so just to be safe he quickly added, "I'm being sarcastic by the way."

"Well Duh." The twins both responded.

Just as Ginny was about to open her mouth to say something, Mrs. Weasley interrupted her (A/N: Sorry she seems to be doing a lot of that isn't she?) and said,

"Well, I think we've all had enough of that conversation. Now Arthur, tomorrow you and Ron will go to #4 Privet Drive, to pick up Harry quickly without any problems-."

"Can't we come too?" asked George trying to look innocent.

"Now didn't you just hear me say that they are to pick up Harry quickly and with NO problems? So anyways once you have Harry you will immediately come back here, alright?"

"Sure sounds like a plan to me," Mr. Weasley replied, suddenly relieved of the subject change and the implication of dinner ending soon. He didn't know how much more of this dinner conversation he could take.

"Alright then, now that we have everything for tomorrow under control, Ginny please help me clear off the table, and Ron, tonight is your night to help clean the dishes," Mrs. Weasley added as the family members got up to leave the kitchen. Two of them groaned and remained in the kitchen as the others left to... well to just not be in the kitchen anymore.

Once Ron had finished helping with cleaning the dishes, he made his way up to his room where the first thing he did was grab the piece of parchment with Hermione's letter on it. He skimmed through the sentences until he found the one he needed to see. He then threw the letter onto a small desk in his room, obviously now in a darker mood.

"Damn, Ginny was right," Ron said out loud, but not too loud that anyone might accidentally hear him. "Hermione _is_ coming in three days, not two"

Ginny was certainly beginning to bug him these days. And what was that in the kitchen, with Ginny? The continuous, "We're just friends, honestly Ron!" had already become an all too familiar expression with him now. His suspicions were still steadily rising up. He decided to forget about it though as he definitely didn't need to think about _that_ sort of stuff.

As Ron sat on his bed he could see his reflection on the mirror sitting on top of the small desk. He stood up and took a good look at himself. His appearance had changed, that much was for sure. All of that Quiditch practice in the last month could certainly be seen in him. He was no longer a tall gangly lanky thing. His body was well toned now with muscles. It wasn't like he was a buff scary looking guy, he had normal muscles for his age and looked quite handsome. Ron laughed as he remembered in his first year when he and Harry had gone in the middle of the night to the Mirror of Erised. He remembered that he had seen in the mirror an older version of himself as Quidditch captain and Head Boy. Now as he thought back he realized that he now looked a lot like the older version he had seen that day. Ron decided to take it as a good sign that he looked closer to the image he saw in the Mirror of Erised.

He now sat back on his bed and found his thoughts wandering over to what Hermione would think. His appearance was after all the surprise he had in store for her. He wondered what she would think of his new look, if she would like it. He hoped she would. Then Ron froze as he thought that last part. Since when did he care so much about what Hermione thought of him? And now that he thought about it, why did he really tell only Hermione that she should be prepared for a surprise and not Harry? It was definitely weird, but after today's events he didn't want to think about it and just wanted to get some sleep as he was sure he was going to be up early so that he and his dad could pick up Harry from that evil place he had the unfortunate luck of having to call home.

A/N: Okay soooo finally I have updated!!! And if I take longer than a week to update the next chapter then you officially have the right to get mad at me!!! Because I already have more than half done...so I should be able to get it finished provided I don't get too, too swamped with homework this week.;) alrighty then...stay tuned for the next installment!! (installment? Man, school must be seriously getting to my head...what I really need right now is a giant snowstorm so I won't have to go for a couple of days...that's all I'm askin for..nothing too big or serious....;) )


	3. Harmless Adventures in a Flying Car

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything having to do with Harry Potter. Wish I did, and hopefully will when I dominate the world... LOL I'm just kidding! :)

**A/N:** YAY!!! I finally updated again!! OK, OK, you can yell at me all you want. I know I didn't update exactly according to my schedule... but still, I was only a week off! And still ... YAY I updated!!!! LOL ok I think that you all waited long enough and so here is the next chappie!!! :) :) :) :) :) Also before I go, a **GINORMOUS **thank you to all my reviewers!! You always put a smile on my face!!!!!! Alright, alright, here's what you came for, hope you enjoy it!

**CHANGING IN MORE THAN ONE WAY**

**CHAPTER 3: HARMLESS ADVENUTRES IN A FLYING CAR**

The next morning, Ron woke up to the ever so lovely sound of his mother screaming his name from downstairs for him to get up. He sluggishly got out of bed, went to do his business in the bathroom, and then quickly got dressed and made his way downstairs in to the kitchen to find his dad all set for their trip to #4 Privet Drive. He mumbled what sounded like a "good morning" but for all anyone knew it could have been an "I'm hungry" as the first thing he did was sit himself at the table and start to shovel the food his mother had made for breakfast, into his mouth.

"Now Ronald, dear, don't eat too much or you'll get a stomach ache for sure," his mother reminded him lovingly.

Ron attempted at answering her but couldn't as his mouth was full of food.

"I suppose that should be enough breakfast for you then son?" Mr. Weasley spoke as Mrs. Weasley removed his plate and placed it into the sink

"I suppose," Ron answered rubbing his eyes as he was still so very tired. He managed to stifle a yawn.

"Well then we better get going if we're going to be there before noon."

"You better be there before noon. I mean it would be all fine and dandy if you just take your time while poor Harry is probably being starved over there by those terrible Dursleys." Mrs. Weasley managed to say very quickly as she shooed the boys outside into the flying car (she was basically the only one in their family who believed that Mr. Weasley had actually "found" it) and waved them off as they switched on the invisibility booster and made their way into the sky.

For most of the ride, Ron fell asleep as his Dad drove on making small talk as he believed Ron to be awake. But after he had asked Ron a question for about the tenth time and still received no answer, he gave in and realized that those were indeed snores.

As Mr. Weasley turned his attention back to the skies and on their route towards their desired destination, Ron was having his own adventure with his head in the skies, his mind forming a descriptive dream.

It started quite vivid, almost as clear as day (A.N: Please forgive me for all of the clichés), where he could see a bright blue, cloudless sky looking down on the brilliant green grass that formed a yard. And in the middle of said yard lay a gorgeous tall willow tree. And keeping in mind this willow tree had to be the exact opposite of the Whomping Willow at Hogwarts. It was graceful and soft and well, just plain beautiful. But to Ron a creature of even more beauty lay lying down with her back resting on the tree, in front of her was placed a red plaid blanket. Keeping the blanket from being blown off the ground from the slight breeze in the air were bunches of the most delicious food you could ever lay your eyes on.

"Please pass the sandwiches Ron," the Aphrodite look-a-like asked him.

"Sure thing, Hermione," he responded as he passed what she had requested. He felt amazing just then, basking in the sun his arms around Hermione, the two of them being nothing but happy.

They sat there for a while making small conversation as they ate. Through their entire meal they kept their eyes on each other the entire time. Then as they were both full and were just sprawled on the neat grass holding each other, there faces seemed to be attracted towards each other by a an strong, almost magnetic, force. Their heads leaned closer, then closer, and closer, until-

"OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! IT'S ACTUALLY HIM!" was screamed not too far into the distance. Hermione and Ron quickly drew apart from each other and angled their heads in the direction of all the noise, to see what all of the commotion was about.

In the distance the two of them could some guy being hurdled by a bunch of teenaged girls. He must have been some heart-throb celebrity or something like that, as why else would all of those girls be going crazy for him? Ron could soon see a pair of all too familiar looking faces. He was shocked if anything by these two people he saw. For this heart-throb guy was to be none other than Harry. And who was the girl who Harry had his arm around the entire time while he was pushing off the others? Why none other than the most popular person this side of Great Britain, also known to Ron as his little sister. (A/N: remember how Ron was going, what has my sister suddenly become the most popular person this side of Great Britain? In an earlier chapter I believe... just in case you forgot and were confused by that part)

But what was shocking Ron the most was that Hermione, who had just spent a breathtaking moment with him, was now joining the group of girls screaming for Harry. The first thing Ron heard Hermione say to him was,

"Is it really THE Harry Potter? Why, he is so famous and everyone knows of the amazing things he's done! He has to be one of the bravest people on the planet!"

And Ron was just about to remind Hermione that the two of them were basically always with Harry for most of his adventures helping him on the way, but then her last sentence came and really left a stinging mark.

"And best of all, he is incredibly rich!" she gushed as she made her way over to him.

Ron just sat there and stared in disgust as Harry told Ginny to "take five" as he put it and then wrapped his arm around a now very frivolous and giggly Hermione and walk her towards a secluded area, still a trail of wailing girls following.

Now meanwhile, back in reality and not in Ron's head, Mr. Weasley was trying very hard to make a landing at #4 Privet Drive without causing a riot for muggles around to see. Creating bunches of bumps and shifts as he finally made his way down on the pavement, and a loud groan could be heard coming from Ron who was now very obviously just waking up from his own little nightmare. Finally realizing where he was didn't seem to raise his spirits when he considered his strange dream. This was, well, strange, considering he had no flipping clue as to what his dream could have meant. As he was pondering through these thoughts, he realized that he must be still half-asleep, as they were making their way up the steps of #4 Privet Drive and were knocking hard on the door hoping someone would hear them, and he hardly even noticed any of it happening.

The door then flung open as Harry' messy raven head flashed into their sight as he quickly dragged his trunk down the steps.

"Hello Ron, Mr. Wealsey, I say we better hurry up now and get a move on," and then quickly glancing back at the door that he had just so hastily left from he added, "umm, there's really no point for greetings, after all they've already met you once before, am I right?" he made a feeble attempt to get everyone to laugh as he quickly put his trunk in the back of the car. For some reason he kept on glancing back at the front door of the house. Just as everyone was seated safely into the car and were about to take flight, the front door once again flung open, only this time with a red and purple faced Vernon Dursley shaking his fist at the car now hovering in the air, as he yelled,

"And where the bloody hells do you think your going boy?! Don't you dare leave with those People! Are you listening to me?! I said come down here! At once!"

The ramblings continued as he made his way closer to the flying car trying to desperately to grab on to Harry. But luckily the three passengers in the car were able to fly out of his reach just in the nick of time and were soaring their way back towards the Burrow.

Ron stared at Harry in disbelief before asking,

"You mean to tell me that you never told them about coming over? And that they had no idea?"

Harry gave a meek smile before answering,

"I told you it was hell there in the letters didn't I? Like I could walk in and ask them for something I would enjoy and they would gladly let me have it. Actually it was Ginny who suggested me do it this way in one of her letters,"

At this Ron froze as he remembered his dream and was determined not to say anything and fought hard to keep his eyes in front of him or looking out the window into the sky, instead of looking into Harry's face.

"Well I wish you guys could have at least given me the pleasure of knowing about this little operation over here. It would have helped loads more you know. But oh well, I suppose boys will be boys, and Ginny, ah, well, she'll always be Ginny, I suppose." Mr. Weasley rambled as he chuckled to himself.

Ron kept mostly to himself for the ride back to the Burrow, and only talked to Harry with a neutral monotone expression and only when Harry talked to him first. The entire ride, his mind was fixed on his dream. He knew it; he absolutely knew it and always had known it. It was obvious but he didn't need his dream to slap him in the face with the knowledge. Harry was better than him, that he had always known, and he had always suspected that Hermione had liked him better for all of his amazing traits. I mean, the guy was famous; what person didn't know his name? And he was indeed coming out of his shell and was definitely good-looking, probably more so than himself, even after all of his Quidditch practices. He almost laughed at himself, what made him think that a few Quidditch practices would make him almost equal to Harry? Like he could hold a candle to the guy. And then there was the biggest difference, the one that hurt the most, Harry's money. He was rich; Ron knew that and didn't need reminding of that factoid. He himself probably only owned about one tenth of what Harry had, probably even less. Ron wondered about why Harry was even friends with him.

'Must be only out of pity,' Ron thought sourly to himself.

And then he brought himself to another big part of his dream that had bothered him dearly. How come Hermione was in his dream? Why did he see her as he did in it? He knew one thing, he had liked whatever she was in it, and he liked it a lot. Now that thought, though he enjoyed it, was a very unsettling one. I mean, it was Hermione, the mental one he had for some reason befriended in First Year with Harry. What was up with the dream and all of the little thoughts he had been having lately about Hermione? He shouldn't be having those feelings at all for her! But alas, there was nothing he could do, he had the dreams and the thoughts, and they left him with a weird feeling, a feeling that had yet left him, a feeling that had increased during the dream. The only problem, he was too thick to realize what that feeling was.

He continued to think about Hermione for most of the trip, continuing with his one word replies to Harry's answers. Inside he knew he shouldn't be mad at Harry, I mean after all it wasn't the poor guys fault what went on in Ron's subconscious now was it? But the only thing Ron could focus his mind on right then was Hermione. And then he focused on not thinking about Hermione. But then that got him thinking about if she ever thought about him. And then he would hear Harry say something to Mr. Weasley, and he would think bitterly that she was probably thinking of Harry instead of even having the tiniest thought about him. He had no clue as to how wrong he was about that. But more on that subject later.

As his thoughts were still desperately clinging to Hermione, he heard her name escape form Harry.

"What about Hermione?" he asked rather hastily as he spun his head around to look at the raven-haired boy.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Harry responded, quite shocked that Ron had actually managed to say more than two words to him. He was quite relieved in truth that he had finally talked to him. Harry had the utmost strangest feeling that he had done something to upset him. But how could he, he thought to himself. After all he hadn't seen him for so long. Then he thought of Ginny and realized that he must be ticked off with his new found infatuation for her. He decided that he should try harder not to mention both of their names in the same sentence for a while longer before Ron could become more adjusted to the idea

"Well you were just talking about her weren't you? I mean I did just hear name didn't I?" Ron asked Harry, as his eyes narrowed to an almost glare stance.

"Oh yeah, that," said Harry as he scratched his head, "Well I was just saying how I couldn't wait for it to be me, you and Hermione, you know all back together for another exciting year!" he finished with a false cheery tone as he said that last part. Oh yeah, a real exciting year it had been last year. Hi closest thing to a real family member gets swiped away from his life into an early grave... not even his grave...an early veil. A dark shadow immediately enveloped Harry's expression as his smile soon faded.

Ron's entire body immediately filled with guilt and sympathy for Harry. Sirius, he thought glumly. What kind of a friend was he being, he asked himself, blaming him for something he has nothing to do with! And all because of what... some alien thoughts about Hermione that he had no idea meant? It was crazy, Harry needed him as a friend more than ever, and the least Ron could do was not avoid him, for something he couldn't explain, and after inviting him to his house. Ron immediately flashed a prize winning grin at his fellow roommate for the next year. (A/N: Am including the month at the burrow and the academic year at Hogwarts in this statement)

"Your bloody damn right this is going to be an amazing year! Don't you remember in my letters me telling you about my extra Quidditch training?" his chest began to swell at this last part out of pride, "I honestly have gotten really good. We are going to have to do nothing else but practice this last month!"

"Well I don't know about that. We better just fit in non-stop practice for the next few days until Hermione comes. I mean she isn't exactly the greatest fan of playing Quidditch. But we'll definitely fit it every chance we get, for sure mate," Harry replied as relief fell all over him. He was ecstatic that whatever it was that he had done to get Ron so mad at him, Ron had at least started to forgive him and was now again on speaking terms with him.

The two of them chatted animatedly for hours as Mr. Wealey would often step in adding his own two cents to whatever it was they were talking about. Time passed by quickly as the two quickly caught up with anything that came to their minds. Like when Harry explained all of the pranks and mischief he connived for the Dursleys during the time of only a month. One thing could be concluded, he had kept himself very busy for that one month. Also Ron filled Harry in about the goings on in the family, how the twin's joke shop was starting out, etc, etc. Soon in hardly any time at all, or so it seemed to the two sixteen year olds, they were both finally at last home.

Now going back to a matter that was pushed aside for the moment, little did Ron exactly know, that at that precise moment, a very particular person whose name was mentioned quite frequently in this chapter, was thinking of Ron and whether he was thinking of her at all. I think we could all answer that one for her.

**A/N:** There you go! How was it? I hope that you enjoyed it very much indeed!!! Kind of on the fluffy side huh? Well at least it was fluff before it turned into Ron's nightmare and everything. Also in case anyone was confuesed...in the letters in the first chapter, Harry is just annoyd at Ron for his reactions to Ginny's letters...he wasn't really mad...just to clear everything up:) .... I'm not exactly sure on a set date for the next update...so you're just going have to bear it with me, as I figure everything out. I mean I'm still not even sure of the format I'm going to have for it. I'm undecided on whether the next chapter should be in Hermione's point of view, or I should just go on about Harry's arrival at the Burrow, and maybe including some Harry/Ginny action in there while I'm at it, or maybe if I should do the last idea I just wrote, and then also include Hermione's arrival at the Burrow in it. Right now I'm at a crossroads between the first idea and the third idea I had. Tell me what you think, it's much appreciated!!!! So I hope to have the next chappie up ASAP, but I'm afraid that I cannot make any promises. Hope to be posting soon!


	4. Hermione Comes into the Picture

**Changing in More Than One Way**

**Chapter 4: Hermione Comes into the Picture**

"Are you almost finished with packing your trunks sweetie?" Mrs. Granger called up the stairs.

"Almost!" Hermione shouted back. She was lying.

To be truthful, Hermione had all of her things packed since the first week of summer holidays, quickly following her homework completion. She had even double-checked the belongings she packed after she first received her invitation to Ron's house, as was expected. Heck, she would have been at the Burrow with the owl sending her response if she wanted to, which she had.

The entire summer after that first exhilarating week of schoolwork, Hermione found herself to be very bored. She found herself beginning to reread all of her old books over and over again. She was in a rut. She enjoyed all of the things she had been doing, but the repetition of it all had really been getting on her nerves. She had decided to set goals for that summer. The very first on the list had been to try new things.

Seeing as most of her clothes were becoming smaller on her, especially around the chest area she would acknowledge with pride, she decided she might as well go and buy some new clothes to take up some time. One of the ladies at the shop had helped Hermione out tremendously in figuring out which outfits best complimented her figure.

After finishing the "new things" goal on her list of two, Hermione found herself with passing two weeks of summer. Having to now consider her second goal, she went on to review her feelings for a certain red headed, freckled boy. She found herself thinking of him constantly, unable to figure out the meaning of it all. Of course she always really did know the truth, but it was her stubbornness of "just friends" that had clouded the very fact.

As the week progresses and Hermione did some serious reflection over the past few years, she was able conclude the impossible, or the impossible to her at least. She liked, no scratch that, she_ loved_ Ronald Weasley. And she wanted to know if her feelings were mutual. She _wanted _them to be mutual. She thought at times they were, but she could never be really sure, and she couldn't take the risk with the 80 chances. She wouldn't ever be able to live it down if her suspicions were wrong and she ended up losing Ron as a friend, and losing him from her life forever. Which is why she had not gone immediately to the Burrow, even though she could have. She couldn't seem too obvious now could she?

Getting back to the present with a now very impatient Mrs. Granger waiting at the bottom of the stairs, who had now taken to pacing across the main hall. Hermione in her room was now observing her reflection in the mirror. That lady at the shop really knew what she was talking about. She was wearing one of her new outfits. She had a cute black top with three-quarter length sleeves and pink stitching that stood out against the black. The top had a semi-low cut showing off some cleavage, but not being over exaggerated as to come across as slutty or sleazy. She was also wearing dark blue jeans with a cut going up to her knees on the sides of the flares of each leg.

Also a very new important feature about Hermione was her hair. Her usually messed up untamable, unmanageable hair, had somehow been able to be under more control over the past few weeks much to Hermione's delight. She had no clue as to what did it, thought she suspected it was the new conditioner she had created when she was experimenting with a few everyday household substances. Whatever it was, it had done the trick. No more tangles held residence on her head, just soft brown ringlets of curls around her face instead. (A/N: OMG that rhymed! What a fluke! LOL)

Hermione kept on wondering about what Ron would think of her "new look". It was, after all, what the surprise that she had mentioned in her letter to him, about. She had of course, told Ginny all about her happy changes, and Ginny had told her not to tell Ron. But then again, Ginny had been able to figure out easily her infatuation with Ginny's older brother. She kept on wondering about what Ron would think, as she guiltily remembered how a younger Hermione had once vowed to never, ever spend hours on end thinking about boys and what they thought. A small smile began to tug at her lips as she remembered. She would always be a studious little bookworm, that Hermione knew for sure as she looked down into her hands to see her copy of "Hogwarts: A history", now battered from all of the times she had read it. She couldn't wait for the new school year to begin. But who did it hurt for her to know focus her holiday time on Ron?

Mrs. Granger who had now grown slightly dizzy from all of her pacing now stood before the bottom step of the stairs and shouted at the top of the lungs, that Hermione feared the people in Japan could hear,

"HERMIONE JANE GRANGER! ARE YOU OR ARE YOU NOT READY TO LEAVE!"

Hermione quickly snuck another glance at the mirror in front of her and then replied,

"I'm ready."

As soon as Harry and Ron entered the Burrow, they were swamped with masses of ginger hair. The twins made their usual cracks to get a smile out of Harry as they picked up his trunk and started lugging it up the stairs.

"Kind of reminds you of four years ago when we smuggled you out of that hell hole, huh Harry?" Fred remarked with a smirk.

"Fred!" Mrs. Weasley replied, shocked at her son's choice of words.

"So sorry Mum," George began, "Kind of reminds you of four years ago when smuggled you out of that heck hole, huh Harry?"

At this everyone's mouth had begun to twitch as they had seen Mrs. Weasley's sour expression. Mrs. Weasley then did her best to brush off the situation as she turned her worries and attention towards Harry.

"Hello Harry dear! How are you? How have you been?" she rushed in with many questions as Harry's answers were muffled as he was being hugged. Not waiting for an answer she continued, "Well I suppose not very well when over at your uncle and aunt's home. Did they treat you well? I will be sure to mention it to Dumbledore the next time I see him if they didn't! I don't know what he thinks allowing you to stay there at all! Oh it doesn't matter though right now. You're here now and are going to have a fantastic time for the rest of your break. We'll even be going to Diagon Alley—"

"Mum, please! Must you go through the entire summer's conversations with Harry, right this instant? Don't you think it would be best if you paced them out slightly?" Ron asked his mother after noticing the awkward expression growing on Harry's face.

"Well, yes, of course," Molly said unscathed. While beaming and giving Harry one last hug, she returned to the kitchen to finish creating the feast she had prepared for dinner.

Just then jumping off the stairs to the ground Ginny came causing Ron to jump himself and Harry just to rise in eyebrow as he questioned the girl's sanity. Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and started pulling him back up the stairs with her.

"Umm, Ginny, Harry's my friend, in case you didn't know. Why are you taking my friend with you when we just got back from getting him here? Don't you have any friends of your own to bother until Harry's unpacked?" Ron interrogated.

Harry was about to respond when Ginny shushed him. Instead of being embarrassed or offbeat by the comment thrown her way, Ginny threw her head back, pursed her lips in an uncanny resemblance to Mrs. Weasley and said,

"Sorry, but I figured that you were boring dear Harry out of his mind what with your random noises you seem to think is talking. Felt I might as well take the boy out of his misery."

"How would I be able to bore Harry already –which I'm completely not doing—if we just got back from the car ride from the Dursely's house? Explain that one Miss-I-think-I-know-everything."

"Well, Mr-I-so-need-to-come-up-with-better-insults-before-a-house-elf-outdoes-me, that's just how incredibly boring you are. In a matter of minutes you'll have the people around you falling asleep on their sides, guaranteed! It's a pity you have such nice friends that they feel they'd be rude to point out such faults, but you're lucky to have one honest sister."

"Oh yeah so lucky I could jump for joy off a bridge," Ron muttered to himself.

"Now what was that Ronnie?" Ginny asked as she leaned forward cupping her hand against her ear. "Now if you don't mind, Harry and I have quite a lot of catching up to do, so if you need us we'll be down in a bit."

As they both continued up the stairs, Harry snickering at the sibling interactions of the two, Ron flustered still at the bottom of the stairs shouts up to them,

"Well what am I supposed to do then until you're 'done'?"

Ginny shrugged her shoulders as she said,

"I dunno, I suppose you can continue to count down the hours, minutes, and seconds until Hermione will be arriving. Oh don't give me that look Ronald Weasley, I know that's exactly what you've been doing up in your room all of yesterday and today. And then you actually wonder why Harry doesn't want to be in your company when you don't give him the same amount of attention to him as you give to Mione," Ginny shook her head in mock disapproval.

"Please believe me Ginny, I don't want the 'same kind' of attention that he gives Mione. Believe me." Harry jokingly insisted as Ginny and he continued up the stairs into a room.

Ron, still at the foot of the staircase watched their retreating bodies as he thought with a frustrated frown planted on his face, _when did everyone become such nut jobs about everything?_ He then had his thoughts go back to Hermione as they now often did as he thought, still with a frown; _I sure hope Hermione hasn't gotten this crazy over the break. Changes aren't seeming so good so far. _Of course he completely disregarded any changes he had gone through with that thought. Just as he was continuing his thoughts, George happened to walk by the staircase, where Ron was still rotted to the spot, his frown becoming more furrowed the deeper he got into his mind. George just couldn't help going up really quietly behind Ron, up to his ear and giving him the scare of a lifetime as he whispered,

"Don't make a face like that or it'll stay that way."

And as his little brother jumped, just to irk him even more George added,

"And no matter how intelligent you thought that face was, it still wouldn't have impressed Hermione the way you want to," and he apparated with a _SNAP_ laughing at the bewildered expression now on Ron's face, which in Fred's opinion, when he came by just seconds later, wasn't much to impress Hermione with either.

**A/N:** OMG I know I'm actually alive and I'm actually updating this one! Yeah, I was reading a bunch of Harry Potter fanfictions, and I thought to myself, hey, didn't I have one of those? And I realized as lazy as I might be in writing this, I still have to follow through and at least try to finish it. So now I got 2 fics, and I'm gonna do my best to keep with all of them. No promises on how lengthy they'll be, chapter-wise, 'cause at this point I'm just trying to find out ways to get the plots moving and the story's finished. Okay then? Alright, hopefully this incredibly late chapter is good enough for all who have been waiting. Sorry again about the wait, I feel horrible about it …


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